Salaries for technology professionals in the United States fell 2.6 percent in 2004 to an average of $67,800, according to a recent study from job board Dice. The report found a decline in overall salaries to levels not seen since before 2001. On the other hand, average tech salaries in areas such as Washington, D.C., Atlanta and Southern California increased. Released last week, the report was based on data from more than 23,000 Dice visitors. Tech salaries declined in sectors such as computer software and Internet services but rose in government and defense.
The report comes amid other mixed signals about the job situation for IT workers in the United States. "Salaries are still feeling the impact of the tech slowdown of 2002 and 2003," Scot Melland, chief executive of Dice, said in a statement. "Now that demand is picking up, we anticipate seeing salaries rise as the labor markets tighten."
